


Thorns

by errantknightess



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Affection, Banter, Drabble, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-06
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-06-22 19:35:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15589197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/errantknightess/pseuds/errantknightess
Summary: “What took you so long? You said you’d just check what’s on the other side!”“Sorry. I got held up a little.” Allen sent him a sheepish smile. His lips pressed close in a thin line, but Lavi couldn’t miss their bluish tint and the streak of deep red in one corner.





	Thorns

“Allen? You okay there?” Lavi called out, craning his neck over the thicket. The dense, sprawling tangle of lush green leaves reached up past his shoulders, and he had no desire to venture any deeper into it. No answer came as seconds crawled by slowly in the relentless August sun. Wiping his brow, Lavi tapped his leg impatiently and glared at the bushes that had swallowed his friend what had to be at least half an hour ago now. Was that enough time to start getting worried? Sure he would have heard _something_ if Allen got in trouble?

“Allen?” he yelled again, fingers twitching on his holstered hammer.

The bush rustled and shook, and a few moments later Allen’s head poked out among the branches. Lavi quickly helped him bend them away as he pulled free and stepped back out onto the dusty road. He looked him over immediately, eye peeled for the tell-tale signs he knew Allen would try to hide: a little breathless, more than a little ruffled – if anything was wrong, it was hard to tell at a glance.

“What took you so long? You said you’d just check what’s on the other side!”

“Sorry. I got held up a little.” Allen sent him a sheepish smile. His lips pressed close in a thin line, but Lavi couldn’t miss their bluish tint and the streak of deep red in one corner.

“What…” He leaned closer, a freezing wave crashing over him despite the heat – and just like that, it ebbed, melted away in the pit of his stomach.

“Seriously?” Lavi sighed, his voice a shaken mix of relief and exasperation. He swept his thumb over Allen’s chin and put it in his mouth; the raspy tartness that burst on his tongue was all the damning evidence he needed. “Blackberries? _That’s_ what held you up?”

“They were too tempting,” Allen laughed defensively, holding a cupped hand up for him to see. “How could I resist? Just look how big and shiny they are!”

“Oh yeah, they’re pretty great. Guess you’re excused." Lavi reached out for the fruits, only to get a smarting swat on the wrist.

“No way! Go find your own!” Allen quickly took his hand back, his face a picture of utter betrayal.

“Come on, Allen!” With a hurt look, Lavi gave him a light flick to the forehead. “I deserve this! It’s the least you can do for keeping me waiting in this sun.” _For giving me a scare_. He went in for another grab, and once again Allen dodged gracefully, cradling the handful protectively to his chest.

“You’ll squash them,” Lavi warned.

“I don’t mind.” Allen stuck out his tongue, stained purple like a little imp’s. “And if you do, you don’t have to eat them!”

“You wish.” Lavi grasped at him again, his hand finally wrapping around Allen’s. He squeezed tight, triumphant, but loosened his hold not a second later as Allen let out a sharp hiss through his teeth. Lavi winced with sympathy as he picked out the deep red scratches scattered across the dirty, bruise-coloured fingers.

“Does it hurt?” He asked, gently running his thumb over them.

“Just stings a little. But I couldn’t let a few thorns stop me, could I?” Allen shook his head and pulled his hand away to pop another berry into his mouth. A bit of juice ran down his wrist all the way to the elbow, dark and thick, splashing on the ground in a heavy drop. The sight was all too familiar, in a way that made Lavi’s stomach churn.

Carefully, he took a hold of Allen’s wrist once more, grateful at the lack of protest even as his heart pinched painfully at how slack it felt in his hand. He didn’t dare raise his eye as he brought it to his lips, chasing down the droplets zigzagging across the pale skin. Allen’s fingers twitched slightly, once, twice, but he didn’t try to pull away anymore. Feeling bolder, Lavi pressed a few more kisses over his scraped knuckles. How many times had Allen got injured like this – not in a fight, not by people who wanted to hurt him, but while doing something normal, something fun… something a reckless kid like him _should_ be doing?

He looked up, meeting Allen’s gaze, silver and soft and a little surprised. Still, he found a smile pulling on those purple lips that put him at ease, and soon he gave one of his own in return – one of those rare ones that he knew with all certainty to be _real_.

“Come on,” Lavi said, tugging on Allen’s hand as he turned back towards the quietly rustling bushes. “Let’s go pick some more.”


End file.
